Micah’s Idolatry

1And there was a man from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Micah. 2And he said to his mother, “The thousand and a hundred shekels of silver† that were taken from you, and on which you put a curse, and even saying it in my ears, here is the silver with me. I took it.”

And his mother said, “Blessed is my son of YHWH!”

3And he returned the thousand and a hundred shekels of silver to his mother, and his mother said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to YHWH from my hand for my son to make a carved image and a molten image. And now I will return it to you.”

4And he returned the silver to his mother, and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver† and gave them to the silversmith, and he made it into a carved image and a molten image, and they were in the house of Micah.

5And the man Micah had a shrine of gods, and he made an ephod and teraphim, and he filled the hand of one† of his sons, and he was to him for a priest. 6In those days there was no king in Israel; each man did the right in his own eyes.

7And there was a young man from Bethlehem in Judah, from the family of Judah, and he was a Levite, and he was staying there. 8And the man departed from the city, from Bethlehem in Judah, to stay wherever he could find, and he came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, as he made his journey.

9And Micah said to him, “From where have you come?”

And he said to him, “I am a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I do find.”

10And Micah said to him, “Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give to you ten shekels of silver† for the days, and a suit of clothes, and your sustenance.”

And the Levite went in. 11And the Levite was willing to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons.

12And Micah filled the hand of the Levite, and the young man was to him for a priest, and he was in the house of Micah. 13And Micah said, “Now I know that YHWH will be good to me, since a Levite has become a priest to me.”